montogomery bus boycotts

• What laws were rigidly enforced in Montgomery, Alabama?

  Jim Crow laws
• Why was the African American community dependent on bus transport in Montgomery?


  Because it was a primary means of transportation for them
• What seating rule did the bus company enforce for African Americans?


  African Americans had to sit at the rear of the bus
• Who was Rosa Parks and what did she do on December 1, 1955?


  She was an NAACP activist who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger
• What was the response of the NAACP after Rosa Parks was arrested?


  They took up her case and decided to boycott the buses
• Why was a boycott chosen as a reaction to the bus segregation?


  It was a non-violent reaction with little risk of reprisals
• What role did local AA churches play in the Montgomery bus boycott?


  They provided important meeting points for organizing the boycott
• Who emerged as a leader and coordinator of the boycott?

  Dr. Martin Luther King
• What were Dr. Martin Luther King's beliefs that influenced the boycott?


  His strong belief in non-violence and Christian ideals of love and forgiveness
• How did King’s tactics during the boycott affect public perception?

  They attracted publicity and encouraged revulsion at white racism
• What was the outcome of the boycott in terms of the bus company's revenue?


  The boycott drastically reduced the bus company’s revenue
• What was the reaction of the local White Citizens’ Council to the boycott?


  They resisted the boycott
• What happened to King and others during the boycott?


  King was arrested and many others were jailed
• What happened to King’s home during the boycott?


  It was fire-bombed
• What tactics did the Ku Klux Klan use during the boycott?


  They used violence and intimidation
• What was the consequence for Rosa Parks after her arrest?


  She was jailed for refusing to pay the fine
• What was the impact of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts on civil rights in Montgomery?


  • Buses were desegregated in Montgomery
  • The rest of the Jim Crow structure remained intact
  • Required a Supreme Court ruling to enforce desegregation
• How did the 1956 presidential election relate to civil rights issues?


  It largely ignored the issue of civil rights
• What was one significant consequence of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts for the Civil Rights movement?


  It demonstrated the effectiveness of cohesive community action
• What economic power did the AA community demonstrate through the boycott?


  They showed how economic power could create change
• How did media coverage of the MBB affect public awareness?


  It brought the Civil Rights issue into the homes of Northern Americans
• What was one of the most important consequences of the MBB for Martin Luther King?


  His rise to prominence and the establishment of his philosophy of nonviolent protest
• What organization did King found after the MBB?


  The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
• What were the goals of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)?


  • Continue the campaign against segregation
  • Mobilize the power of AA churches
  • Focus on confronting and destroying Jim Crow in the South
• What was President Eisenhower's general stance on the Civil Rights agenda?


  He had right-wing leanings and a distaste for the Civil Rights agenda
• What was one of Eisenhower's significant changes regarding the Supreme Court?


  He promoted liberal members, including Chief Justice Earl Warren
• How did Eisenhower's view of Earl Warren affect civil rights?


  He underestimated Warren’s support for Civil Rights
• What action did Eisenhower take regarding the AA pupils at Little Rock?


  He intervened directly in support of them
• Why did Eisenhower intervene at Little Rock?


  Out of fears for law and order and media representation during the Cold War
• What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1957?


  It kick-started the federal government’s civil rights legislative program
• What was Eisenhower's motivation for pushing through the Civil Rights Act of 1957?


  To court the AA vote for the 1958 Congressional elections
• What did Eisenhower famously state about the Civil Rights Act of 1957?


  He stated that he “did not understand parts of [the Act]”